Box Score BOSTON – Fueled by senior Beth Castantini's (Newburyport, Mass.) career-high 25 points, including 16 in the second half, UMass Dartmouth women's basketball put the stamp on another gutsy fourth quarter on Wednesday, pulling away for a 77-68 win at UMass Boston.
Castantini registered three baskets from beyond the arc in the final 10 minutes as the Corsairs (16-8, 6-7 LEC) outscored the Beacons 24-15 in the fourth quarter after a 53-all score at the end of the third. The guard dropped 13 of the Corsairs' final-stanza points while leading UMass Dartmouth on the boards for the game with eight.
Junior Megan Ronaghan (North Attleboro, Mass.) turned in another solid performance, registering 18 points, seven rebounds, two assists and four steals. Senior Colleen Kane (Arlington, Mass.) contributed 11 points, while freshman Nakira Examond (New Bedford, Mass.) and sophomore Chelsea Houlihan (Wolcott, Conn.) posted eight apiece.
For the Beacons (14-10, 6-7 LEC), senior Olivia Murphy (Canton, Mass.) led her squad with a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double. Sophomore Grace Geary (Falmouth, Mass.) chipped in 13 points and classmate Katie Mathieu (Coventry, Conn.) 12 while junior Katrina Edwards (Springfield, Mass.) grabbed 10 boards.
UMass Dartmouth paced the game early, but UMass Boston seized back control in the second quarter, outscoring the visitors 21-9. Geary registered eight over the stretch as the Beacons snatched five steals on eight turnovers. The hosts held a slim 34-32 lead at half.
After going down six points midway through the third, the Corsairs began to chip away, fueled by a Ronaghan layup and steal to set up a Houlihan bucket. UMass Dartmouth responded to every Beacon opportunity to force the sixth tie of the game with 1:58 remaining in the quarter. A 3-pointer from Beacon Ariana Rivera (Burlington, Mass.) in the closing seconds tied the contest heading into the last 10 minutes.
UMass Dartmouth squashed the UMass Boston momentum early into the final period, embarking on a 7-0 run capped by Castantini's second 3-pointer of the quarter. Two possessions later, Castantini stole the ball back, as Houlihan then found the senior for her second-straight long range bucket.
From the 4:33 mark to 1:51, Ronaghan scored six unanswered points including two jumpers and two foul shots to put the visitors up 11 and seal the game. A Geary layup put the hosts back within seven with 37 seconds left, but corresponding Castantini free throws shut the door again.
UMass Dartmouth converted of 26-of-66 (39 percent) from the field on the game to UMass Boston's 33 percent. Additionally, the Corsairs used a 21-of-28 performance from the charity stripe to outmatch the Beacons' 14-of-26 night.
The Corsairs conclude the regular season on Saturday as they host Southern Maine for Senior Day at 1 p.m. The game marks the annual Play 4 Kay breast cancer awareness event as UMass Dartmouth looks to solidify the No. 5 seed for the Little East Conference Tournament.
